A row has erupted in Knowsley after a question was asked about the council’s decision to evict market traders on Christmas Eve.
Knowsley Council issued eviction notices in December to 17 traders at Kirkby Market, who had not paid rent during a period they were unable to trade due to covid.
Several of the traders left their stalls on Christmas Eve following the eviction notice, with one trader saying he felt “betrayed” by the council.
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Knowsley Council claims that grants given to them during lockdown were meant to be used on paying rent and said they had given traders the opportunity to make repayment plans.
The situation was brought up at a meeting of Knowsley ’s full council last week by one local councillor who called the decision “heartless” and “vindictive.”
Independent councillor Steve Smith, representing Whitefield ward, said: “Colleagues, in the lead up to the Christmas period a considerable number of stall holders from Kirkby market were issued with eviction notices to be enforced on Christmas eve.
“Several of the stall holders have complied with the said eviction notices and have ceased trading.
He continued: “As a consequence, a number of my fellow councillors have expressed views to me personally, and I add my own, on the process, including the words such as heartless, disgraceful, embarrassing and vindictive.
“As a caring council, who seeks to encourage economic growth, particularly within our town centres and regardless of the use of enforcement or -”
The councillor was then interrupted by Cllr Jayne Aston, who said: “Is this a speech or is he actually reading out the question to the leader?”
The chair, Mayor Frank Walsh, then told Cllr Smith to keep to his speech, before he was interrupted by Cllr Aston who said “keep to the question Mr Mayor.”
Returning to his question, Cllr Smith said; “It’s not a speech, and as a newly elected councillor I would hope that you would allow me some small indulgence to develop a question. The question is -”
At which point, Cllr Smith was then interrupted by council leader Cllr Graham Morgan, who said: “The process is, the procedure is, you read the question as is outlined in submission. Can he please read the question and not do a speech.”
Cllr Smith was then invited to continue with his question, and said: “In conclusion colleagues, the question is, is it morally justified or necessary to issue the said eviction notices to be enforced on Christmas eve, that period once a year where we share peace and goodwill to all?”
Responding, Cllr Morgan said Knowsley is a “caring council.”
He added: “We’re one of the best local authorities in the country in doing so.
“Kirkby market is a vital part of the retail offer in Kirkby town centre and that’s why we’re currently investing £50,000 on a variety of projects at the market”
Cllr Morgan said this investment was to include stall front replacements, painting, deep cleaning and new bollards.
Cllr Morgan said: “We’ve worked hard to support the market traders as much as possible.”
Referring to the five traders evicted on Christmas Eve, Cllr Morgan said the council had given stall holders an initial three month rent three period and later lobbied the government for additional support.
The leader said that the grants were then made available for market traders to “meet ongoing business and property costs” including rent.
He said that while most of the traders had used the money to pay rent, several hadn’t, with the council contacting them earlier in the year to make a repayment plan.
Of the 17 traders who hadn’t made a repayment plan by November, Cllr Morgan said they were issued with the eviction notice in early December.
He added: “Only five traders have decided to leave the market and that was a business decision made by those traders.
“I think it tells you everything you need to know that those traders now owe rent arrears of £11k, but have received £24k in grants.
“It is quite clear this council did a very good job in supporting them and quite clear they chose to do something else with the money but none of us should feel any way we let the traders down.”
After the meeting, Green councillor and leader of the opposition, Cllr Kai Taylor took to social media to condemn the repeated interruptions to Cllr Smith’s question.
Sharing a segment of video from the meeting on social media, Cllr Taylor said: “What happens when you try to ask Labour Councillors in Knowsley a question?
“Cllr Steve Smith (Independent, Whitefield ward) asked a question about the council’s decision to evict traders from Kirkby market on Christmas Eve.
“This is how Knowsley Labour councillors behave when they get asked questions they don’t want to answer.
“Do you this is an appropriate way for the leader of the council to behave?”
When asked about the exchange, Cllr Smith told the ECHO: “It went as I anticipated. it was a moral question and needed a simple yes or no answer.
“I’ll always listen to my community, represent my community and never stop asking questions on their behalf.”
Leader of Knowsley Council, Cllr Graham Morgan told the ECHO that in other parts of the meeting, opposition councillors also made interruptions.
Cllr Morgan said: “Councillor Taylor’s post is critical of the Labour Group as you might expect, but it would be inaccurate and unfair to suggest that he did not behave in the same way, because he quite clearly did.
He added: “In terms of this particular question, we have a set of Procedure Rules which govern how we conduct full meetings of the Council.”
Cllr Morgan said the council had rules to prevent “the same questions being asked over and over again, or questions about things which are nothing to do with the Council, or questions which might be defamatory etc etc.”
The Knowsley council leader said that members are not allowed to “make statements or speeches if they have not arranged to do so in advance” and that Cllr Smith had submitted a question.
“When he stood to ask it, he started to make a lengthy statement, which is not allowed under the rules of the meeting.
“Members made a point of order simply to explain that Councillor Smith was outside the rules for the meeting.
“If he wants to make statements, he can – but he needs to submit them in advance.”
Referring to Cllr Taylor’s suggestion that the ruling Labour group didn’t want a question to be asked about the Kirkby market evictions, Cllr Morgan said: “Finally, in respect of the suggestion that Labour Councillors don’t want to, or have not, answered questions regarding Kirkby Market, this is simply untrue.
” In fact, the Council’s position on this matter and all the background to this had been set out in full on [the council’s Knowsley News website] prior to the meeting. This was also reiterated in response to Cllr Smith’s question at Council.”
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